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Saturday, November 28, 2015

What Happened in Colorado Springs Didn't Happen in a Vacuum

The real scandal is that many in the media today are pretending they don't know what the motive was.

In my last piece, I argued that the very term prolife, while brilliant framing for abortion opponents is in itself a clear incitement to violence. After all, if you really believe abortion is murder why not use any means to put a stop to it like abolitionist John Brown used with slavery.

That this is the implication tells you right away that there is something morally perverse about the claim that abortion is murder.

There has been a clear uptick in recent threats and violence against clinics.

"The New, Ugly Surge in Violence and Threats Against Abortion Providers"

"The deadly shooting at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic is part of a disturbing trend."

"Three people were shot dead and nine injured Friday at a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood clinic, the first time since 2009 that anyone has been killed in an incident linked to activity at an abortion clinic. The attack comes amid an exponential increase in threats and violence against abortion providers since the release of a series of viral—and widelydebunked—videos."

"While police have not discussed the alleged motives of the suspect, who has been arrested, the attack began at the clinic. According to authorities the gunman entered the facility Friday afternoon and began shooting. During an hours-long standoff, he exchanged fire with police, killing one officer."

"Since the release of the Center for Medical Progress' videos that purport to show Planned Parenthood selling fetal issue, harassment, threats, and attacks against abortion providers, their staff, and facilities have surged dramatically across the country, according to new numbers from the National Abortion Federation."

This is a conversation that is even more taboo than the one about gun violence-that this latest killing is just another example of.

UPDATE: I should have included these quotes:

"Since the series of highly-edited, misleading anti-abortion videos was released in July, we have seen an unprecedented increase in hate speech and threats against abortion providers" says Vicki Saporta, the president and CEO of the National Abortion Federation, which has been tracking violence against providers since the 1970s."

"We have been quite worried that this increase in threats would lead to a violent attack like we saw" on Friday, she added.

"The Federation is suing Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress for allegedly setting up a sham biomedical organization and misrepresenting their identities in order to gain access to and record a federation meeting."

"Abortion providers have grappled with harassment and threats for years, but the tide of vitriol began rising dramatically in July, after the first video was released. Soon after that, an anonymous reader posted a message on Fox Nation's website."

"I'll pay ten large to whomever kills Dr. Deborah Nucatola. [She] should be summarily executed. I'll do it myself if no one else does." A month later, another physician, Dr. Savita Ginde, came home to find 50 people protesting outside her door. They left fliers around her neighborhood that said, "Savita Ginde Murders Children."

Kindle

Confessions of a Conservative

About Me

I wear your scorn like a badge of honor. After all they killed Socrates as well.
But if you really want to get to know me I say Plato, Nietzsche, Keynes, Garry Wills, and Michael Lind.
Read those five gentlemen and you will get a major clue on how I view this thing called human society.
For those of you not too prone to seasickness, welcome aboard.